


i’m tired of wanting more, i think i’m finally worn

by lilaclavenders



Series: a burning hill [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, M/M, Post-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Sokka has a revelation, Zuko has a revelation, Zuko is so dramatic bless his heart, Zuko thinks Sokka is just like Iroh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:47:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26130631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilaclavenders/pseuds/lilaclavenders
Summary: “What’re you thinking about?” Sokka asks, raising a brow. He tries not to lean closer, but Sokka’s always had to rely on heat for survival.Zuko blinks in surprise and sits up. “You know, how I never thanked you for giving me another chance to redeem myself... and stuff,” he sheepishly admits. He scratches the back of his neck, catches his fingers on his hair, and softly swears. He adds, “You don’t know how much it means to me.”Sokka realises something at the beginning of one of many journeys he and Zuko will take.“No buts! Aang and Toph have got Republic City covered, Katara’s with dad, and- and Suki’s with Ty Lee and the other Kyoshi warriors,” Sokka exclaims, placing his hands on Zuko’s shoulders. “I’m all yours!” He smiles so widely that Zuko’s heart might burst.Yes, Zuko thinks, this is the suffering he is fated to endure in order to keep Sokka in his life.Zuko has realised what his heart ache actually means, and is unsurprisingly also the last person to know.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: a burning hill [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1894720
Comments: 9
Kudos: 156





	1. i) sokka

**Author's Note:**

> this is just sokka and zuko trying not to combust at the realisation they are in love with each other! :)

Sokka has come to the conclusion that there is absolutely nothing else to do but watch Zuko. Zuko gingerly pokes his head out of the carriage window to wave at crowds of people, and his smile is endearingly sincere (if not a little awkward.) It’s the way Zuko’s hair flows in the breeze, and the tenderness of his other hand clutching his chest that makes Sokka feel overwhelmed. To a bystander, it’s such a ridiculously ordinary moment, but Sokka thinks otherwise; this is something he wants to see _forever_.

“Isn’t this great?” Zuko exclaims with careless glee, turning back to face Sokka with a grin. He exhales with determination, “This is what I’ve always wanted, you know?”

Sokka nods in agreement, and his throat catches as he reaches a conclusion he’ll have to deal with later. He clears his throat and nervously chuckles, “Yeah, I think I can understand.”

They soon reaches the edges of the city, where buildings are sparse, the crowds more so, and the carriage goes at a pace that barely chases after the setting sun. Zuko sits back opposite Sokka, with a deep exhale and thoughtful look on his face, where his eyebrows are drawn enough to reveal a small forehead wrinkle. 

“What’re you thinking about?” Sokka asks, raising a brow. He tries not to lean closer, but Sokka’s always had to rely on heat for survival. 

Zuko blinks in surprise and sits up. “You know, how I never thanked you for giving me another chance to redeem myself... and stuff,” he sheepishly admits. He scratches the back of his neck, catches his fingers on his hair, and softly swears. He adds, “You don’t know how much it means to me.”

Sokka understands the ache his father has, what losing does, even if you win the war - he sees in Zuko, and how he deeply fears making another mistakes, as if he hangs onto his second chance by a thread. 

“You may as well just keep your hair down, it’s a long journey to the Earth Kingdom,” Sokka quietly says, with a small huff of a laugh. He leans close enough to take out Zuko’s hairpin with one hand, and gently fixes his hair with the other. “Besides, no one’s here watching you but me.”

“Okay,” Zuko whispers, his eyes quickly darting towards the window. 

“Anyway,” Sokka continues, slowly retracting his hand from Zuko’s hair, and gingerly places the golden hairpin in Zuko’s hands. He is greeted by a sudden wave of warmth. “It would’ve been a lot harder saving the world if you were still chasing us around the world, don’t you think?” 

“I guess so,” Zuko says quietly, staring down at his hairpin, his fingers closing over it, as if he wants to say more.

“Your life is your life,” Sokka says after a while. “People can change and grow, but they have to be given the chance.” He pauses, letting himself adjust to the absence of Zuko’s warmth. “It can’t have been easy growing up the way you did - you’ve made mistakes but it doesn’t mean you have to hang onto them for the rest of your life in a negative way.”

“You sound like my uncle,” Zuko wistfully says, sinking into his seat and letting the pin slide out of his fingers.

Sokka puffs out his chest, while mimicking Iroh’s gravelly voice, “Wisdom can come from a variety of places, and I just happen to be the source of it all!” He strokes his chin where Iroh’s beard is supposed to be in jest, then winks at Zuko.

Zuko’s shoulders shake as he erupts into the loudest laugh Sokka’s ever heard. Moonlight starts to poke through the carriage window, making Zuko’s face shine that much brighter.

Zuko says through peals of laughter, “You sound just like him!”

Sokka remembers how to breathe after a few moments, and he can’t help but be entranced, struggling to take his eyes away from Zuko, who animatedly launches into a story about Iroh. His hairpin is now carelessly abandoned, and his eyes are alight with a playful fire - now there’s a thought.  _ Where has Zuko placed all of his worth now? Is this what he always envisioned, when he said this was what he wanted?  _

Sokka decides to file that question away for another day as he concentrates the changing nature of their relationship. He is perplexed as to how it all happened right under his nose, nothing like the raging forest fire that Zuko had once embodied, but at a gradual pace, akin to the way a glacier will gently melt in the sun, or how an oil lamp quietly brings heat into the harsh night.

Although he grew up worshipping the moon and her gifts, Sokka now realises he prefers to bask in the warmth of the sun, and will allow himself to melt away if it means he gets to stay with Zuko, and he’ll chase him to the ends of the Earth. Sokka wasn’t born with an elemental gift, to serve the moon, but maybe he was destined for something else, someone else.

  



	2. ii) zuko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> zuko realising he’s been in love with sokka for ages like an idiot - he’s just like ??? i’ve always felt like this omg why am i freaking out

“You know I regret not taking some of Gran Gran’s stew back with us,” Sokka laments, watching the sunrise from the carriage window. He dramatically sighs with a pout, “Do you think we can turn around?” 

Zuko snorts and rolls his eyes, “It’s a little late for that.” His heart slightly aches; he thinks about how Sokka reminds him of his uncle.

The carriage soon reach the edge of the Fire Nation capital, and Zuko watches Sokka breathe in the way the city shines brights and golden in the sun. Neither of them can’t bring themselves to look away.

Zuko was never a firm believer of fate and coincidence, and had never thought himself deserving something good without having suffered - how can you know the feeling of goodness, of love, without having the experience of the opposite? 

Zuko knows this, yet, Sokka has been an arm’s length away from him for the past few months, a calming presence. The best part was that Zuko didn’t have to earn the feeling that always came with seeing Sokka, in the warmth of the sun, the light of the moon, marvelling at the sights Zuko had grown up admiring, or just aimlessly talking only for Zuko to listen, just the way Iroh does.

Zuko wishes he could capture this moment, as well as all the other moments with Sokka he had been lucky to bear witness to. He wonders how warm Sokka’s hands are, and what he would look like wearing red. He always imagines would he would’ve been like if they met sooner, though it’s better this way, now that he’s somewhat a better person, he can easily fit Sokka into the part of his life he is proud of.

“Time flies quickly, huh?” Sokka says with a smile, and Zuko blinks with the realisation that they’ve reached the palace gates. “I definitely look forward having our- my mornings back, but I think some things are worth the sacrifice, right?”

Zuko nods, gravitated towards Sokka’s lop-sided smile. “Right,” he lamely echoes, blinking slowly. He tucks some hair out of his face. 

“Do you want me to help?” Sokka offers, already making his way to Zuko’s side, plucking the hairpin from his pocket. “It would be very unprofessional if you went out like this,” Sokka teases, and his hand lightly brushes the back of Zuko’s neck.

“I already know how to do it,” Zuko grumbles, trying to stay still and refusing to admit to himself how much he enjoys the brief moments of physical contact he gets from Sokka.

Sokka hums in agreement, and takes his time making sure Zuko’s hair is tied up. “Sure you do.”

“I’m serious!” Zuko insists. 

“Mhm,” Sokka replies, slotting the hairpin in place. “Of course, I would never want to undermine his majesty’s skills in hairbending!” He steps out of the carriage and over-dramatically bows with a snicker.

Although his Uncle managed to provide a little light during his younger years, it had recently occurred to Zuko that Sokka unconsciously gave new life to a side he thought he had lost with his mother years ago, and with each laugh Sokka brings out of him, Zuko’s heart lurches in an awful way. Perhaps this is the suffering he must endure to keep Sokka in his life, and oddly enough, he’s okay with that.

“So, uh, this is where we part,” Zuko awkwardly says, as Sokka  ~~ unnecessarily ~~ helps Zuko out of the carriage by taking his hand. “It’s been nice having you accompany me and all, but I’m sure you’re needed elsewhere.” He reluctantly lets go of Sokka’s hand after the carriage pulls away to awkwardly brush himself off.

“Don’t be stupid,” Sokka says with amusement. He playfully elbows Zuko, “I said I’ll be here to help out as long as you need, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, but-“

“No buts! Aang and Toph have got Republic City covered, Katara’s with dad, and- and Suki’s with Ty Lee and the other Kyoshi warriors ,” Sokka exclaims, placing his hands on Zuko’s shoulders. “I’m all yours!” He smiles so widely that Zuko’s heart might burst.

Yes, Zuko thinks, this is the suffering he is fated to endure in order to keep Sokka in his life. It only makes sense, he internally sighs, fondly watching Sokka greet the Fire Nation government officials with his usual charisma and gesticulative behaviours. 

“Good trip?” Iroh says, suddenly appearing at Zuko’s side. 

“You could say that,” Zuko says, not once taking his eyes off Sokka.

Iroh scoffs, “For someone who acts on instinct, you are terribly out of touch with your own feelings sometimes.”

Zuko frowns and demands, “What do you mean?”

Iroh raises his brows, unimpressed. “You know better than to feign ignorance with me, Zuko,” he says with a smirk.

Zuko concedes with a slump of shoulders and groans, “Who else knows?”

Iroh pretends to ponder over his answer. He teases, “How many people have you spoken to in the past year?” 

Zuko grumbles something about grabbing breakfast because Sokka’s probably forgotten the way to the kitchen again. 

“Well, don’t let him wait for too long, Zuko!” Iroh hollers with a chuckle as his nephew storms off through the doors.

**Author's Note:**

> have a nice day!


End file.
